PDF Doc. (340
of Ch'an Meditation Practice by Ting Chen, Tr.
Master Lok To.
The Fundamentals of (Ch'an) Meditation Practice by Ting Chen.
"Originally, one's own mind and nature are pure, and there
is nothing to accept and nothing to refuse; there is neither
existence nor non-existence; there is only clear understanding
without attachment and with no dwelling. One who wants to know
the no-attachment, no-dwelling mind can find it through meditation,
because it is only then that the mind does not think of right
and wrong, of good and evil or of self and others".
PDF Doc. (470
Gates of Chan Buddhism by Venerable Jing Hui.
BODHIDHARMAS GATE: "Chan (Zen) in fact is an impregnable
fortress, without a gate to enter. Suppose there is really
a gate, that gate would simply be a method of training to be
taken up in the Chan tradition. That is why when a monk asked
Master Zhao Zhou (778 - 897): Has a dog Buddha-nature
or not? Master Zhao Zhou retorted: Wu. Later on, this Gongan (koan)
formed part of a specific approach in the Chan School."
The author , Venerable Jing Hui is a Chan Master and a vicepresident
of the Buddhist Association of China.
PDF Doc. (1,590
Sweet Dews of Ch'an by Reverend Cheng Kuan.
Chan or Zen is the outcome of meditation. There are two
right or highest purposes of Chan.
The first purpose is to achieve Dhyana. Dhyana is
a combination of relaxation, concentration and calmness or tranquility.
The second purpose is, using your very composed and tranquil
mind, to observe clearly all the dharmas or phenomena externally
and internally. As an outcome of Dhyana, you will be able to
observe these phenomena very clearly because your mental
mirror is very clear, for there are no more disturbances
to veil it. Out of these observations will come Transcendental
Wisdom, which in Sanskrit is called Prajna.
PDF Doc. (1,035
the Monkey Mind Cheng Wei-an. Tr. by Dharma Master
"Taming the Monkey Mind" is a guide to Pure Land
practice. It deals specifically with the main practice of the
Pure Land School - Buddha Recitation - and covers both the noumenal
and phenomenal aspects of that practice. The treatise is accompanied
by the detailed commentary of an Elder Master of the Zen and
Pure Land lineages. Readers not familiar with Pure Land theory
may wish to begin with Dr. J.C. Cleary's introduction.
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Vipassana Exercises Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw.
|The late Mahasi Sayadaw was responsible
for the modern revival of Vipassana or Insight meditation in Myanmar
(Burma). This text is his basic instruction on the practice: the
preparatory stages with a series of basic exercises. Part two,
deals with the deals with the progressive practice and the practical
vipassana exercises. The appendix explains the techniques involved
in the Mahasi Sayadaw tradition.
PDF Doc. (435
Stages of Purification & Insight Knowledges
Ven. Matara Sri Nanarama.
|A guide to the progressive
stages of Buddhist meditation. The seven stages of purification
provide the framework for the practising disciples gradual
progress from the cultivation of virtue up to the attainment of
the final goal. Integral to the higher stages of purification
are the nine types of insight-knowledge, by which the disciple
breaks through the delusions covering his mental vision and penetrates
through to the real nature of phenomena.
PDF Doc. (1,428 KB) A Map of the Journey Ven. Sayadaw U Jotika.
|This manuscript is an orginial, never previously published work. It is a transcript of a series of eleven preparatory talks given by Sayadaw U Jotika of Myanmar prior to a meditation retreat held in Australia. The Sayadaw is very well respected in Mayanmar where he has produced many books. Although born and bred in Myanmar, Sayadaw U Jotika has a great understanding of many other cultures as he has also read widely in Western literature and has spent extented periods in other countries. This book gives a thorough background to the Path with much detail about the various insight stages. The Sayadaw illustrates this with many stories from his own practice and from his many teachers.
PDF Doc. (1,259
the Breath in Mind & Lessons in Samadhi Ajaan
|This is a 'how to' book. It teaches
the liberation of the mind, not as a mind-boggling theory, but
as a very basic skill that starts with keeping the breath in mind.
The teachings here are drawn from the works of Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo
(1906-61), one of Thailand's most renowned teachers of Buddhist
meditation practices. Ajaan Lee was a forest monk - one who prefers
to live in the seclusion of the forest and makes his meditation
the central theme of his practice - so his teachings grow out
of personal, practical experience, although he also makes a point
of relating them to standard Buddhist doctrine.
PDF Doc. (671
of Reference Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo.
|"This book on the frames of
reference is based to some extent on my own thoughts and opinions.
In some spots it may not be directly in line with the original
text (Satipatth‚na Sutta), because my primary aim has been to
get to the heart of the matter, so that it can be conveniently
put into practice. The eBook also includes a section on the "Duties
of the Sangha", that is, the laws and regulations and disciplinary
PDF Doc. (340
Discourses on Vipassana Meditation Ven. Sayadaw
|Sayadaw U Kundala is a renowned meditation
master in the Mahasi Sayadaw tradition of Burma, noted for his
loving-kindness. In these Dhamma talks the stages of the practice
and the Insight Knowledges are explained. The method of meditation
is given with detailed instruction. There is a detailed explanation
of the Contemplation of Feelings, the second foundation of mindfulness,
which, in the Theravada tradition, is the key to the Insight Knowledges.
Overall, in the Sayadaw's teachings, there is much for the Vipassana
or insight meditator to be inspired by.
PDF Doc. (270
Meditation, Living Insight Dr. Thynn
|The Path of Mindfulness in Daily
Life. I wrote this book to encourage practitioners learning
to meditate in daily life. In this sense, the articles are presented
as a "hands-on" or, more accurately, a "minds-on"
training manual. Although I discuss meditation in general, the
real focus is on how the Dhamma brings us into spontaneous, wholesome
and creative living. My objective in presenting the articles is
to help the aspirant build up a solid foundation of mindfulness
as a way of life rather than as a practice separated from daily
living - Dr. Thynn Thynn.
PDF Doc. (385
Guide to Awareness H.H. Somdet Phra
|The Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipatth‚na
Sutta). This is a series of twenty-two talks given at Wat
Bovornives, Bangkok by H.H.Somdet Phra —anasamvara, Supreme Patriarch
of Thailand. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness is the Buddha's
explanation of the practice of mindfulness meditation within the
framework of four foundations of awareness: body, feelings, mind-states
and the mental content. If you read this book, you will discover
the truth of the 'knots' and problems that exist within you. In
short, this can be described as the 'knot of suffering'. You may
also then see the method to unravel and safeguard against this
PDF Doc. (2,371
The Path To Freedom Sayadaw U Pandita.
|On The Path to Freedom - a mind
of wise discernment and openness - by Burmese Meditation Master,
Sayadaw U Pandita. This is a compilation of Dhamma discourses
to foreign meditators at the Mahasi Meditation Centre, Rangoon,
Myanmar, who came to practise under him in Yangon (formerly Rangoon)
between August 1986 to March 1987. Translated from Myanmar by
the late Mya Thaung.
PDF Doc. (861
The Path of the Deathless Ven. Ajahn Sumedho.
|The aim of this book is to provide
a clear instruction in and reflection on Buddhist meditation as
taught by Ajahn Sumedho, a bhikkhu (monk) of the Theravadin tradition.
It has been edited from talks Ajahn Sumedho has given to meditators
as a practical approach to the wisdom of Buddhism. This wisdom
is otherwise known as Dhamma or 'the way things are'. It is a
step-by-step manual on the practice of meditation.
PDF Doc. (590 KB) Invitation to Insight Meditation Ven. Visuddhacara.
|This book contains two sections: 1. Invitation to Vipassana and 2. Basic Instructions. In the first part, I have endeavoured to explain: a) the basic principles underlying the Vipassana practice, how it is essentially the observation of physical and mental processes that occur in the body and mind, b) how this observation leads to the understanding of the truths of impermanence, suffering and not-self as taught by the Buddha, c) how the application of mindfulness is required for this observation, d) how the Wisdom of impermanence, etc. is important, making us wiser, stronger, etc. – i.e. how it helps us in our daily life, and shape our whole outlook and attitude towards life, and e) various other aspects of the benefits of mindfulness and living in the present, such as the curtailment of worries and anxieties, improvement in health, concentration and memory.
PDF Doc. (391 KB) The Vipassana Retreat Ven. Pannyavaro.
|Vipassana meditation requires long-term commitment. While it can be done to some extent in everyday life, realistically for the practice to deepen it needs to be done intensively in a supportive retreat situation. Vipassana meditation is developmental, so to realise its ultimate benefit it has to be sustained with appropriate intensity under supportive conditions. Ven. Pannyavaro, a practitioner of over 30 years, guides you through the vipassana experience in a retreat situation, in a systematic and practical way.
PDF Doc. (158
Meditation Workshop Online Ven. Pannyavaro.
|Meditation is the intelligent heart
of the Buddha's way; the only criterion is that you should apply
it to daily life. The purpose of this meditation course is not
to create a system of beliefs, but rather to give guidance on
how to see clearly into the nature of the mind. In this way, you
can have firsthand understanding of the way things are, without
reliance on opinions or theories - a direct experience, which
has its own vitality. This course has been prepared with
both beginners and experienced practitioners in mind.
PDF Doc. (100
Art of Attention Ven. Pannyavaro.
| This is a handbook on the art of
meditative attention or meditating for insight. It deals with
the basics of awareness meditation. There is practical instruction
on how to do sitting and walking meditation and how to apply awareness
in daily activities based on the Insight Meditation (Vipassana)
tradition. The purpose of this handbook is to give the beginner
to awareness meditation a guide to the basics of the practice,
with the emphasis on its practical application to daily life.
Arabic version: The
Art of Attention (564KB)
PDF Doc. (143
the Stilling of Volcanoes Ven. Sujiva.
|Insight Meditation as explained
by Ven. Sujiva: "It is not an task easy to approach such
a profound topic as Insight Meditation in simple terms. But we
have got to start somewhere. After some years of introducing this
type of meditation, I still find that there is a lack of introductory
material for those without knowledge of Buddhism. What is available
is often extremely technical and loaded with ancient Indian terminology.
There are some words in the English vocabulary which we can never
hope to substitute perfectly. Even in this booklet I have used
some English words such as conditioned and suffering
which need special explanation when used in a Buddhist
sense - but I have tried to come up with something easier to read
PDF Doc. (3,342
of Insight Meditation Practice Ven.
|The ultimate aim of insight meditation
is to free one from the unsatisfactoriness of cyclic
existence. Readers may also find numerous quotations of the Buddhas
teaching on mindfulness, detachment and liberation throughout
the entire book. Those verses act as a source of inspiration and
purpose to put vipassana into practice a practice that
brings about insight into the three universal characteristics
of unsatisfactoriness, impermanence and non-self which leads one
into detachment and ultimate liberation.
PDF Doc. (211
Meditation Ven. Sujiva.
|Loving-kindness Meditation or Metta
Bhavana and other Sublime States by Ven. Sujiva is a clear
and comprehensive step-by-step explanation of the systematic practice.
It is based on the Visuddhimagga or The Path of Purification by
Buddhagosha. The texts describe metta as characterised
by promoting the aspect of welfare. Amity, goodwill, friendliness
and loving-kindness are some words used to describe this mental
state. There is no better way to know it than to study it as it
occurs in one's own and others' minds. It is a totally unselfish
and pure state of mind that brings profit to oneself and others
now and hereafter.
PDF Doc. (372
KB) The Power
of Mindfulness Ven. Nyanaponika
"In the case of mindfulness, it required a genius like the Buddha to discover the “hidden talent” in the modest garb, and to develop the vast inherent power of that potent seed. It is, indeed, the mark of a genius to perceive and to harness the power of the seemingly small. Here, truly, it happens that, what is little becomes much. A revaluation of values takes place. The standards of greatness and smallness change. Through the master mind of the Buddha, mindfulness is finally revealed as the point where the vast revolving mass of world suffering is levered out of its twofold anchorage in ignorance and craving".
PDF Doc. (590
Four Sublime States Ven. Nyanaponika
Four sublime states of mind have been taught by the Buddha:
Loving-kindness (metta), Compassion (karuna), Sympathetic Joy
(mudita), Equanimity (upekkha) These four attitudes are said
to be excellent or sublime because they are the right or ideal
way of conduct towards living beings They provide, in fact,
the answer to all situations arising from social contact. They
are the great removers of tension, the great peacemakers in
social conflict, and the great healers of wounds suffered in
the struggle of existence. They level social barriers, build
harmonious communities, awaken slumbering magnanimity long forgotten,
revive joy and hope long abandoned, and promote human brotherhood
against the forces of egotism.
PDF Doc. (2,521
Dhamma Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw.
"Brahmavihara Dhamma" (Divine Abidings) expounded by
the late Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw, reveals the systematic method
of developing Metta, loving-kindness towards all beings
and the way to lead a life of holiness. The style of presentation
and the informative materials contained therein stand witness
to the depth and wealth of spiritual and scriptural knowledge
of the eminent author. A careful reading of this Dhamma or teachings,
followed by an unfailing practice of meditation that has been
clearly presented in this text will, I believe, amount to storing
a fortune in the shape of happiness in the present lifetime as
well as higher spiritual attainment.
PDF Doc. (2,842
- with Love & Other Meditations
|The three most important things in
life are love, kindness and wisdom. If we have made these three
values the priorities of our life, then our life will have been
well-lived. When we die we can only have happiness when we look
back and not regrets. Wealth, fame, power, status, worldly success
and pleasures these are insignificant compared to love,
kindness and wisdom. Cultivate the latter. If we spend our life
cultivating this trio, our birth and life will have been worthwhile;
it will not have been in vain. In this booklet, Ven. Visuddhàcàra
shares his understanding of this practice of mindfulness and loving-kindness
with a view to encourage all of us to walk the path.
PDF Doc. (1,681
Bhavana, Loving-kindness Meditation
|This is short explanation on how
to practise Metta Bhavana or Loving-kindness Meditation given
as a three-day weekend retreat at Dhammodaya Meditation Centre
in Nakhon Pathom in Thailand, by an Australian monk, Ven. Dhammarakkhita
PDF Doc. (431
Meditation for Primary Students Ven. Pannyavaro
Buddhist Studies for Schools.
|This is a series of guided meditations
with instruction for teachers for primary students. This file
is part of BuddhaNet's Buddhist Studies for Schools. It has seven
guided meditations for students, with detailed instructions for
PDF Doc. (80
the Heart Gregory Kramer.
|Loving-kindness Meditation with
Children. The practice of loving-kindness, or metta, can
be done in one of two ways: either in intensive prolonged meditation
to develop deep states of concentration, or in daily life at any
time one meets with people and animals or thinks about them. To
learn about the radiating of metta to all beings with children,
we have to tap into the store of knowledge accumulated by lay
people and parents. It must be knowledge which has grown out of
years of living and loving with children and young adults. Gregory
Kramer, father of three boys, shows us here with what subtle but
precise adjustments in the standard practice of loving-kindness
he was able to anchor it in the lives of his children.
back into the moment Joseph Goldstein.
A selection of verses from the book 'Experience of Insight'
, by Joseph Goldstein. This book belongs to a different genre,
not a book in the sense of having a beginning and an end. It
is a compilation of excerpts that stand alone in meaning whichever
way your finger may flip open the page. Readers are strongly
encouraged to read Joseph Goldstein's "Experience of Insight
- a simple and direct guide to Buddhist Meditation" (Published
by Shambala Publications, Inc.) from whose book this compilation
PDF Doc. (994
KB) Teaching and Training Compiled by Bhikkhu Moneyya.
|The system of meditation taught at Pa-Auk Forest Monastery in Myanmar is based on the Tipitaka (The Three Baskets, or main divisions, of the Pali Canon) and its commentaries. For clarity, the subject matter in this book has been organized into an outline format, using the three trainings of sila (morality), samadhi (concentration) and pañña (wisdom) as its main headings. The three trainings are then further subdivided into the seven stages of purification, originally described in the “Rathavinita Sutta” (“Relay Chariots Discourse”) of the Majjhima Nikaya and later expounded in the Visuddhimagga (The Path of Purification), a widely respected commentary, compiled by Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa around AD 400. The seven stages of purification provide a step-by-step formula for systematically purifying one’s body (physical actions), speech and mind of defilements in order to realize Nibbana in this lifetime.
PDF Doc. (2,908 KB) Knowing and Seeing Ven. Pa-Auk Sayadaw.
|Talks and Questions and Answers at a meditation retreat in Taiwan by Venerable Pa-Auk Sayadaw. This book details two approaches to insight meditation, namely, "tranquility and insight" and "bare-insight" meditation. These two methods are essentially identical, starting from four-elements meditation and continuing into insight meditation. In this book the reader has an explanation of the classic instructions for both methods. The talks in this book were given by the Sayadaw (teacher), from Pa-Auk, Mawlamyine, Myanmar, while he conducted a two-month meditation retreat at Yi-Tung Temple, Sing Choo City, Taiwan.
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Practice which Leads to Nibbana Ven. Pa-Auk Sayadaw.
|Translated by Greg Kleiman. This
is the method of practising meditation that is taught at Pa Auk
Tawya Monastery, (Myanmar) Burma. It is based on the explanation
of meditation found in the Visuddhimagga commentary. Because of
that the method involves several stages of practice which are
complex, and involved. These stages include a detailed analysis
of both mentality and matter, according to all the categories
enumerated in the Abhidhamma, and the further use of this understanding
to discern the process of Dependent Origination as it occurs in
the Past, Present, and Future. Therefore people who are unfamiliar
with the Visuddhimagga and the Abhidhamma will have difficulty
in understanding and developing a clear picture of the practice
of meditation at Pa Auk Tawya. For foreigners who cannot speak
Burmese this problem is made even more difficult. This introduction
has been written to help alleviate these difficulties by presenting
a simplified example of a successful meditator's path of progress
as he develops his meditation at Pa Auk Tawya.
PDF Doc. (1,040
of Breathing & Four Elements Meditation Ven.
|This book contains the instructions
for mindfulness-of-breathing meditation, the four-elements meditation,
and the subsequent detailed discernment of materiality. The last
section of this book covers some of the relevant theory. Several
pages have been added by the Sayadaw covering the balancing of
the five controlling faculties and seven factors of enlightenment.
There is also the addition of his explanation of the difference
between the experience of Nibbàna and the experience of
PDF Doc. (1,287
- Mindfulness of Breathing Ven. Buddhadasa Bhikkhu.
|For the first time in the English
language a comprehensive manual of Buddhist meditation known as
ânàpànasati (the development of mindfulness
of breathing ) is available. Although this manual is primarily
intended for the benefit of monks, it will greatly assist laymen,
too, who wish to undertake a course of meditation but who do not
have the guidance of a teacher. Originally published in Thai,
this manual is one of
the major works of the Ven. Buddhadàsa Bhikkhu and delivered
in 1959 in the form of a series of lectures to monks of Suanmokkha
Monastery, Chaiya, Thailand. Ven. Buddhadàsa Bhikkhu, a
major voice in the Buddhist world, is an accepted master of Buddhist
meditation. In constructive positive language, the manual guides
the meditator through the 16 steps of ânàpànasati.
PDF Doc. (891 KB) Buddhist Meditation and Depth Psychology Douglas M. Burns.
|This essay is concerned with only one aspect of Buddhism, the practice of meditation. The ethical, practical, and logical facets of the Teaching are covered in other publications. If the cause of suffering is primarily psychological, then it must follow that the cure, also, is psychological. Therefore, we find in Buddhism a series of “mental exercises” or meditations designed to uncover and cure our psychic aberrations. Mistakenly, Buddhist meditation is frequently confused with yogic meditation, which often includes physical contortions, autohypnosis, quests for occult powers, and an attempted union with God. None of these are concerns or practices of the Eightfold Path. There are in Buddhism no drugs or stimulants, no secret teachings, and no mystical formulae. Buddhist meditation deals exclusively with the everyday phenomena of human consciousness.
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Critical Analysis of the Jh„nas in Therav„da Buddhist Meditation
This work, by Ven. Henepola Gunaratana, provides
an analytical study of the Jh„nas, as they are an important
set of meditative attainments in the contemplative discipline
of Therav„da Buddhism. Despite their frequent appearance in
the texts, the exact role of the Jh„nas in the Buddhist path
has not been settled with unanimity by Therav„da scholars, who
are still divided over the question as to whether they are necessary
for attaining Nibbana. The primary purpose of this dissertation
is to determine the precise role of the Jh„nas in the Therav„da
Buddhist presentation of the way to liberation.
For source material the work relies upon the three
principal classes of authoritative Therav„da texts: the Pali
Tipitaka, its commentaries, and its sub-commentaries. To traditional
canonical investigations modern methods of philosophical and
psychological analysis are applied in order to clarify the meanings
implicit in the original sources. The examination covers two
major areas: first the dynamics of Jh„na attainment, and second,
the function of the Jh„nas in realizing the ultimate goal of
Buddhism, Nibbana or final liberation from suffering.
version only (1,387KB, PDF)
| This print version is suitable
for people who can print the pages duplex and they will have 2
A5 size pages on every Landscape oriented A4 page.
| PDF Doc. (57 KB) Information about Meditation Centres in Sri Lanka.
There are many monasteries and meditation centers in Sri Lanka, but only few of these are suitable for foreigners who are new to Sri Lanka and only stay for a short time. The following information is specifically intended for them. Both males and females can stay in all of these places, albeit separate. (Undated 2013)
PDF Doc. (459 KB) A Guide for Foreign Buddhist Monastics and Lay Practitioner in Sri Lanka.
In Sri Lanka there are many forest hermitages and meditation centres suitable for foreign Buddhist monastics or for experienced lay Buddhists. The following information is particularly intended for Western bhikkhus, those who aspire to become bhikkhus, and those who are experienced lay practitioners. (Updated 2013)
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